The installation is based on a study of plaques or marks on façades that refer to exclusive clubs or associations, which often use a circle as their basic shape. This is no different in Bruges.
In general, circular geometry often symbolises union and balance, as each point on the circumference has a matching counterpoint, balanced through the same radius, which ultimately results in perfect equilibrium or neutrality. The circle is a closed figure, but it also stands for a totality comprising all opposites in one entity. Yet, the question remains: what stays outside the circle?
With Inner Circle, Nadia Kaabi-Linke wanted to raise attention to the exclusive habitus of elitist groups and other social circles, where a fragile ambivalence often draws the line between hospitality and exclusion. Her shiny yet repellent sculpture is a physical expression of the feeling evoked by the frequently used metaphor of Europe as a fortress against immigration. It emphasises that the fear of otherness may lead to overprotective measures that may not only affect the comfort of life but also produce separation and emptiness.
